Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-22

dozen miles above the city the bottoms
show little Of anything besides coarse sand.
with occasional beds of gravel The dis
appearance Of the slickens and the descent
of gravel in large quantities indicate that
the shutting down of many large hydraulic
mines has relieved the Yuba to such an
extent that the current has attacked the
old deposits in the mountain channels,
which are fast finding their way into the
valley. 1t is surprising to find large beds
of coarse gravel level with the surface of
the broad expanse of sand that Spreads
away from the levee as far as the eve can
see. Much Of this gravel consists of pieces
as large as ones fist. 1t is principally
quartz, which seems to have retained its
hardness. But mingled with the quartz
stones are other stones of dark color and
composite nature. These are disintecrat-
ing under the action of the clements, and
some Of them are so soft as to be readily
crumbled in the hand. Like the quartz
stones they are rounded by the action of
the water. There must be man. thou
sands of tons of large gravel on the Yuba
bottoms that has been carried down from
the mountain channels by the torrents of
winter.
The deposition of large beds of coarse
gravel miles below the point where the
Guba debouches from the foothills into the
valley, and more apparently level surfaces
of sand with no channel in sight. is evil
dence of the great Transporting power of
the water 1t is probable that this heavy
material is partially rolled and partially
borne along by the shifting currents. 1t
cannot be long, at the present rate of
progress, before large quantities of this
heavy material will reach the Feather
river, If, indeed, the bed of that stream has
not already become the receptacle for a
good deal Of such debris
From the fact that so much of this
coarse gravel is found upon the Yuba river
bottoms, strewn upon debris of a finer
character from the mines, and far away
from any perceptible channel, it seems en-
tirely plain that no debris dams in the
channels of the streams in the mountains
could be effective. No check to the de-
scent Of the material in the mountain
channels could prove of permanent
character. The mighty force of the tor
rental streams is resistless. 1t would
sweep sand and gravel over the crest OF
dams az easily as the wind sweeps snow
over the fences.
From the consequences of the evil that
has been done by hydraulic mining upon
the 4uba 1t seems impossible for the State
to escape. The material deposited in the
mountain channels must steadily work its
way downward to the Sacramento river
and the bays. Marysville has passed
through the worst of her trials from this
WI II l., .
ltal city to suffer from the deposition in
the great river of the valley of the heavy
debris that the water cannot readily carry
past her gates, rs it has borne the light
sands and pipe-clay that have hitherto
constituted the chief burden of the waters.
The grade of the Yuba is so great that the
stream may be expected TO soon clear and
deepen It's channel, provided that hy-
draullc mining be not resumed But the
Sacramento river has grade of only a few
inches to the mile, and cannot easily move
gravel along its channel TO the bay. The
apathy of the people of the State in refer
ence to the debris evil is likely to result
Ill formidable obstruction to navigation in
her chief waterway.
The Appedl sounds this note of warning
IN order that the necessity of radical
measures to put a final stop to hydraulic
mining may be perceived and acted upon.
Congress should be urged to make large
appropriation for the prosecution of hy-
draulic miners who may continue to defy
the law. And the ofiense should be made
il misdemeanor. The people of Marysville
and the surrounding country have too
long been compelled to do the fighting for
the preservation Of the Sacramento river.
1t is high time for the communities whose
ultimate danger and injury from the evil
Is greater than that of Marysville's to call
upon Congress with no uncertain voice for
radical measures of relief.
An Anti-Debris Convention has been
suggested to meet at Sacramento. But
just what it is proposed to accomplish, that
could not be better attained in another
way, is not clearly perceived. The needs
of the valley could probably be more effect
lively indicated through the Anti-D Debris
Association, which could formulate the
precise nature OF the legislation desired.
and call for the cooperation of the various
Boards OF Supervisors and Boards of
Trade, with other official bodies through
ont the State, in presenting memorial to
our Senators and Representatives in Con-
preSs